Yellow Bullhead

• Description

  • coloration:  brown with yellow belly

  • pattern: solid color with faint lateral line

  • fins: long anal fin, average pec fins, small short dorsal

  • unusual :  spines in pec fin, whiskers 

  • size: Average: 6-14inch record: 17.8

  • native

• Habitat and location

Yellow bullhead are bottom dwellers, living in areas with muck, rock, sand, or clay substrates. Its habitat includes river pools, backwaters, and sluggish current over soft or mildly rocky substrate in creeks, small to larger rivers, and shallow portions of lakes and ponds. Their habitat can vary from a slow current with poorly oxygenated, highly silted, and highly polluted water to a more swift current with clean and clear water that has aquatic vegetation. Fishermen often find them in sluggish creeks and rivers with a gravel bottom.

• Food

  • worms

  • insects

  • snails

  • minnows

  • clams

  • crayfish

  • plant matter is their main source of food

• predators/Hazards

Yellow bullheads are preyed upon by larger fish such as largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and other catfish. Large wading birds and some turtles will also prey on adults. they are mostly in danger at a young age because they are very small and easy to catch.

• Human hazards

  • challenged with human pollution, but are very good at surviving in low oxygen environments.

  • some invasive species are actually improving bullheads habitat, like milfoil creating more cover for them to hide.

  • some invasive species are affecting the small fish they can eat but bullheads have a very diverse diet so they are unaffected.